“Uncle Ben!”
His nephew, TJ, hurried toward him, a bright smile on his face, his cheeks reddened by the chilly air.
“Hey, buddy.” Ben held out his hand for a high five.
The two girls joined them, also giving Ben high-fives. Ben scooped up Chrissy, the littlest of Kiara and Julian’s kids, and walked to where Julian and Kiara stood.
The family got into a waiting SUV, while Ben climbed into a UTV with the bodyguards. After the bags were loaded into their respective vehicles, the SUV headed for Julian’s place, while the UTV took Ben to the main house.
He would still be staying at Annie’s old place, but he wanted to see his parents first.
“I’ll take everything to the house to unload,” Luca said when they reached the back door of the main house.
“Thanks,” Ben said. “Just pile it in the living room for now.”
Once he’d received that text on Saturday, his focus had shifted, and he’d decided he didn’t want to wait in New York anymore. Over the next couple of days, he’d packed up most of his things. Now, his most important belongings were sitting in Annie’s living room, with the rest to follow in the next couple of weeks.
“Benjamin!” his dad greeted him with a broad smile and a tight hug when Ben found his parents in the solarium in their wing of the house. “Welcome home, son.”
“Thanks, Dad,” he said. “I’m glad to be back.”
“For good this time?” his mom asked as she wrapped her arms around him, bringing with her a light cloud of scent that he’d forever associate with her.
“That’s my hope,” he said.
“Amelia seems to be doing well,” his mom commented as she stepped back. “When I saw her at church last Sunday, she was smiling more than I’d ever seen her smile before. And she approached me to say hi.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Family members had fed him tidbits about Amelia over the months, but this was the best news yet.
Now if she’d just agree to open communication between them again.
Dinner was just the three of them, since the whole family would be getting together on Thursday for their Thanksgiving dinner.
After the meal, he and Luca went to the gym at the rec center to work out. It felt good to stretch his muscles after having spent much of the day sitting, but his mind was definitely not on what his body was doing.
That night as he got ready for bed, Ben prayed that God would open the door for communication with Amelia again. That if it was His will that they pursue a relationship, it would be clear to both him and Amelia.
It was a prayer that he’d prayed every night and every morning since he and Amelia had parted ways in August.
But now, being so close to her added a sense of urgency to his prayers. It was in his nature to be the one to reach out. To show up at her door with flowers or a meal.
However, he was still trying his best to respect Amelia’s wishes. Only she could determine when she was ready for them to be in contact once again.
The next morning, Ben woke to the sight of more snow blanketing the estate. These early snowfalls brought with them a clear sense of the shifting of the seasons. Of the passage of time.
As he stood looking out the large window in Annie’s loft, a mug of coffee in his hand, Ben once again felt the need to settle things with Amelia.
Give me patience, Father. I don’t want to trample over what she’s asked of me, but my heart longs to be near her. To be planning a future with her.
Ben braced his hand on the edge of the window, staring at the distant mountains. In the stillness of the morning, three words came to him.
Love is patient.
He recognized them from First Corinthians chapter thirteen. It was a Bible chapter he’d read plenty of times, wanting to make sure that he lived the attributes of genuine love.
And in this particular instance, he understood that patience was what Amelia needed most from him. A sense of peace settled over the urgency, suppressing it.
